'93 f250

[Fellro]

Prior to 96 won't have much for plug in mods like that. You had to actually change out the PROM chip. Basically, you just make sure to put in a cam that the computer will be able to adapt to. If you get too radical, it can't adjust accordingly. From your statement, I think you would be fine with a good set of heads and a decent tow cam. It won't be lopey, but it will give you good torque. Lope in a cam moves the power band more from the low end to higher rpms, so as you said, you don't want to race it, and you do want to tow, you want torque. A good tow cam will give you good throttle response and better torque. If you get above that, they don't tend to tow as well. When the torque moves farther from idle. you have to rev it more to get the torque, and you can bog it down easier. Chris' truck was meant more for racing and performance, so that is why he needs to upgrade to make the computer work out better. If you want good throttle response and towing capability, then you want to stay a bit less radical.

 

[Jakehuntress]

That's what I was wondering since OBD 2 didn't start 'till 96.
Opinions on GT40 heads verses stock. Again just looking at daily driver with periodic towing. Just think itd be fun to surprise my buddies at the stoplight once in a while but this will never see a track. Long term it'll get all new suspension and a little lift, maybe only 3".

 

[Twiceblown351]

Its not the heads that are going to drive the computer nuts. Its a to small of a center line of the cam that will drive it nuts.

Gen 1 Lighting used the same computer at the rest of the truck. Little hotter of a tune. But not by much. More then once have i put a gen 1 Lighting 351 in a non Lighting truck with out ever touching the computer or its tune. and the engine never cared.

 

[Fellro]

You will be better served by upgrading the heads. Better flow = better efficiency and power. The less energy lost to simply pumping air through a motor, the more you realize in performance and fuel efficiency. When a motor build more power with the less need for it, it tends to be more efficient when you aren't getting into it. The 351W can build impressive power, all the heads and cam change does is unlock some of what it can do.
The W in the 88 does impressively well at stock for towing with 3.08 gears. The mileage sucks, but it is a high miles truck, and the gearing actually works against it some. The stock heads don't breathe nearly as well, so that cuts into the fuel efficiency as well. It is a get by truck, my mainstay is usually the 86, but I have been slowly working at getting it back up to snuff after letting a friend use it for a while, then it went down. I have limited time and finances to work with, so it all takes a while to get things done. The injection pump failed, then his uncle took the pump off the wrong way and foobarred the timing.

 

[Lost]

Check Ford rebuild .They been neck in neck price wise with jasper . And I have better luck and warrenty

 

[Jakehuntress]

Yeah I did check with Ford but the dealers in my area were oddly short on parts. They said stock heads were discontinued even? Used to work for Advance and figure if we could get 'em no problem dealer should have been able to...
Felro, you're saying then that I could get a Lightning computer from the same model year and it'll help with performance without flipping out everything else? Any worries that it'd have problems with the transmission or anything? Not too sure but I think they came with the E40D too but they were special and I'm sure my rear end isn't the same. Not sure on my gear ratio, havta see if the tag is still on the differential but I don't know if it's 4:10 or not... From what I've read a trans cooler would be smart if I did it though no...?

 

[Fellro]

The GT-40P heads are the factory style that are desirable. The heads you would have been selling at Advance were reman, not new, and they were stock type replacement, not an upgrade at all.

I myself didn't say anything about swapping the computer, I am more for sticking with the one you have and making the current unit play nice with the motor under it. That is why I say stick with the good tow cam over getting too wild there. If you wanted to play with the harness and such and wanted more than a good driving/towing truck, then you would be more in need of upgrading the control system. I personally am not familiar with the Lightning, so if it uses a mass air sensor, while the older system does not, then it would require the harness to be changed as well.

 

[5.0Flareside]

lightning is a speed density system as well. just has slightly loser parameters and better trans tuning.

and as far as heads go if your gonna stay cast iron, gt40s are easier to find headers for without making some tweaks. gt40ps have awkward plug angle.

gt40s were on 93 cobras, 93-95 lightings, 95 Cobra R's, 96 & very early97 5.0 Explorers. easy to notice with 3 vertical casting lines on front of heads.

gt40ps were on 5.0 explorers 97 and after. 4 vertical bars.

I'd have to look back on what trans OP has..

 

[Twiceblown351]

Look Jakehuntress Your taling to Mr gen1 Lighting here.

All were caring about here is the cam. The heads,intake headers,Tb and all,The computer not going to care about at all.
All we need to worrying about is how much vacuum the cam is going to pull at idle.
some one here must know what a stock truck pull for vacuum at idle? Pretty sure it 16 to 18" of vacuum.

And the # on the cam that changes the Vacuum is the center line[know as the Lobe Separation] . Not the Lift and not the Duration. A center line of 114 to 117 would keep the speed Denace computer happy.

OR OR the other way to go about this if you want more lope And keep the computer happy and the Vacuum up. is to get a cam with a Center line of 114 or 115 with a Lobe Separation of 110 or 111. thats called 110 center line avance 4.

As for finding a C3P2 lighting computer it would work in your truck. If your truck got a E4OD trans then it would work. Lighting are the only F150 2WD truck ever made with a E4OD trans in them.

As for the Speed Sensor the computer from the Lighting should not care. All the trucks were made in a way that they all read the same speed now mater if it was a 150 250 or 350 or what rear gear was in the truck.
And the way they did this is because the Sensor looked at the axle speed and not the drive shaft speed. So all the F150 even the Lighting had 30" tall tires. that why the Lightning had that strange 275/60R17 tires on them. they were 30" tall.
But the computer doesn't tell the speedo in these trucks what to do. Its the dash in the truck that tell the computer what speed its doing. And the computer whats to know so it can shift at the right speed.

BUT a computer change is not going to make it so you can put a bigger cam in it. The Lighting held 16" of vacuum as well. And they used a falt tapped cam.

Like i said. if i wanted to make more power and keep the computer real happy I put some Trickflow Track heat heads on it. A intake like a GT40 or a Trickflow intake. with a single 70 or 75MM TB and a stock Mustang GT roller cam. Leave the stock computer and 19LB Injectors in the truck. The sensor will work and the fuel rails .

 

[5.0Flareside]

18" of vacuum give or take a inch. is what stock pulls vacuum wise.

 

[Twiceblown351]

Well I know that Big $$$ costom grin cam in my turbo truck holds 18" and its a 110 centerline avanced 4. So its 286 Duration 618" lift 110 Lobe Separation
with a 114 center line. So its a 110 advanced 4. And that hold 118" of vacuum all day long.
And that with big 2.05 intakes valve that flow 300+ CFM of air.and a 90mm TB

Just kind of prove the point. Its the cam and not the heads that control the vacuum #

 

[Jakehuntress]

Like I said boys definately new to the custom world. Know enough to swap the broken stuff on work trucks and some welding on the goosenecks but reading all I can for now. Looking at all the angles and considering this will be the daily driver I think it looks like I'll be going with a Mabbco 351 w the RV cam, double timing, GT heads, decent set of headers, and down the road I'll be looking at one of the performance intake sets and bigger TB's. No computer stuff, nothing crazy above stock in terms of cams cause its outta my league.
Twiceblown351 thanks for the info. Maybe I misunderstood, but you said though that Lightnings were the only 2wd that came with E40D so now you have me wondering if I measured right. I could swear it was 20'' pan. (That said I used to be a fireman and broke my back, and I measured it while I was home bored after my third surgery a few weeks ago so who knows, I was a little shaky under there.) Either way, the changes I have in mind are weekend tinker plans more than anything, mostly things I can do on my own on the new motor once it's in.

 

[5.0Flareside]

greg (twiceblown so people don't think I'm calling people by wrong name..) all 351w trucks came with E4OD'S no matter 2wd or 4...

 

[5.0Flareside]

Well I know that Big $$$ costom grin cam in my turbo truck holds 18" and its a 110 centerline avanced 4. So its 286 Duration 618" lift 110 Lobe Separation
with a 114 center line. So its a 110 advanced 4. And that hold 118" of vacuum all day long.
And that with big 2.05 intakes valve that flow 300+ CFM of air.and a 90mm TB

Just kind of prove the point. Its the cam and not the heads that control the vacuum #

lol I couldn't believe it held that much vacuum..

but it does.. lol crazy shit..

 

[Jakehuntress]

Flareside thanks on the trans. thing cause that's what I thought. Had me wondering what the heck I might have if it wasn't that.

 

[Jakehuntress]

Well I know that Big $$$ costom grin cam in my turbo truck holds 18" and its a 110 centerline avanced 4. So its 286 Duration 618" lift 110 Lobe Separation
with a 114 center line. So its a 110 advanced 4. And that hold 118" of vacuum all day long.
And that with big 2.05 intakes valve that flow 300+ CFM of air.and a 90mm TB

Just kind of prove the point. Its the cam and not the heads that control the vacuum #

90mm?! I was looking at like 60 or so I think. Thought stock was around 52 or so..worth the trouble or am I way off on what I was thinking?

 

[Twiceblown351]

No Lightning were the only 2wd F150 ever made with a E4OD.

All the 4wd F150s and any F250 and F350 were all E4OD trans trucks. from mid 1992 to 1996

IDK why they did that way. I have A 1990 F150 2wd with a 302 and its got a E4OD in it.

But when you look at a 1993 2wd F150 Like Chris's truck its got a AOD under it. And any 1994 to 1996 2wd F150 has a AODE or a 4R70 in it

It never made any sense to me.

But no. your truck got a E4OD under it.

E4OD started in 1989 all the way to 1998 in the F250 and 350. and when the new body came out in 1999.5 the trans got some upgrades and was renamed the 4R100.
Put a E4OD and a 4R100 on the floor side by side from a power stroke and you cant tell them apart.
On a gas engine you can tell because of the bell housing But thats it. unless you open them up. and then its still hard to tell.

But still one of the best auto trans ever made, strong SOB they are.

 

[Twiceblown351]

LOL dont put a 90MM on your engine.

Was just trying to show that the TB size and heads and intake is not what change the vacuum the engine pulls at idle.

Now if you had a GT40 intake a 70MM would be a good TB for you.

BBK make one thats Twin 61MM TB if you are going to stay with the stock intake i would go with it.

Big cubes like big TB. air is HP and TQ. And 351 are big TQ monsters. way down low in the RPMs.

 

[Jakehuntress]

Yeah NO WAY I was even considering 90 on mine, I think the 61 was the one I was looking at but didn't make sense to me without doing the intakes so figured I'd do it all at once.

 

[Twiceblown351]

Will Like i said. If you want to keep the stock intake.
And its one of the best intake to have if your wanting power from idle to 4800 RPMs maybe 5200
Then that BBK twin 61MM is the one for you.

If you want more power and RPMs then you need to change the intake to a trick flow or a GT40. looking like the ones from a fox body mustang .the power will not come on until 1500 RPM but with the right cam it will make power until 5800 to 6000 RPM.

Remember HP is a math problem of TQ and RPMs. the more RPMs the engine runs the more HP its going to make.

If your not worry about the HP and just worry about having enough TQ to pull the house down the road but don't care how long it take to do it.

Then just leave the stock intake on it and put the 61mm on it and call it a day.

Tq is how much work it can do. And HP is how fast it can do the work.

So im in to TQ my self. My truck make more TQ then HP But my truck a hole different world then what your trying to do.